Paddington & Woollahra
From the intersection with South Dowling Street in Darlinghurst, Oxford Street strikes southeast through Paddington and Woollahra to the verdant expanse of Centennial Park. Paddington , a slum at the turn of the century, became a popular hangout for hipsters during the late 1960s and 1970s. Since then, yuppies took over and turned Paddington into the smart and fashionable suburb it is today: the Victorian-era terraced houses, with their iron-lace verandahs reminiscent of New Orleans, have been beautifully restored. Many of the terraces were originally built in the 1840s to house the artisans who worked on the graceful sandstone Victoria Barracks on the southern side of Oxford Street , its walls stretching seven blocks, from Greens Road to just before the Paddington Town Hall on Oatley Road. Shadforth Street , opposite the entrance gates, has many examples of the original artisans' homes. Though the barracks are still used by the army, there are free guided tours on Thursday mornings at 10am - complete with army band - while a small museum is open to visitors on Sundays (10am-3pm; free; buses #378, #380, #382, #389). On the northern side of Oxford Street the small, winding, tree-lined streets are a pleasant place for a stroll and offer tantalizing glimpses of the sparkling waters of the harbour - and a chance to wander into the many small art galleries or to take some liquid refreshment. Head via Underwood and Heeley streets to Five Ways , where you'll find cafes, speciality shops and a typically gracious old boozer, the Royal Hotel . But the main action is on Oxford Street, most lively on Saturday from 10am to around 4pm, when the crowds descend on the fun and fashion-conscious Paddington Bazaar in the church grounds at 395 Oxford St. Woollahra , along Oxford Street from Paddington, is even more moneyed but contrastingly staid, with expensive antique shops along Queen Street replacing the fashion and trendy lifestyle focus of Paddington's shops. Leafy Moncur Street hides jones the grocer (at no. 68), where Woollahra locals gather for coffee at the long central table; it sells stylishly packaged, outlandishly priced and utterly delicious groceries and gourmet treats to eat in or take away.
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